Bag-filling machine



May 9: R. P. BUSHMAN EI'AL BAG FILLING MACHINE Original Filed Aug. 29, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet Y E N R m hmw A d r a RQBEET 1P. BUSHMAN, OF EAST ORAIIG-Fi,

AND nnsmzinn, on

@BANGE, NEW JERSEY, AND NATE-[AN FEGELY, @F IQLA, KANSAS, ASSIGNGES,

BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO BATE$ VALVE BAG CQTJPORATIQN, @F NQIS, A COEPURATIQN @F NEW JERSEY.

GEXQAGG, ILLI- BAG-FELLLNG Application filed August 2.9, 1924, Serial Ito. $35,031.

This invention relates to bag filling and weighing machines with special. reference to types in which finely powdered or granular material, such as cement, is deposited in delinite quantities by weight, into bags having a relatively small lateral opening at their upper ends commonly known as valve In this type of machine the is supported near a discharge throat in such a manner that the bag valve is in position to rt veive material from the discharge throat through which material is forcibly fed f om the hop per to the bag. The valve bag and its support are adapted to be moved with respect to the discharge throat; and suitable portions carried respectively by a movable part and a stationary part of the machine are in sliding engagement and are adapted to act as a seal to prevent the leakage of cement between these parts. These engaging portions are therefore subjected to a deposit of the cement as it is led into the bag with great force. This tends to hinder the tree movement of these parts, due tot-he clogging effect of such material, which is gritty and compactable.

An object of this invention is to an eficient and effective means to pevent the filling material from hindering the free movement of the relatively movable engaging parts which are subjected to the filling material as it is fed into the bag.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a pivoted delivery spout actuated auto matically upon completion of the filling operation to positively close the inlet passage in a substantially frictionless manner, and manually operated auxiliary means for preventing flow until an empty cog has been substituted for that previously filled.

The action of the automatic cut-oil is dependent upon the operation of a compound weighing device comprised of a platform scale carried on a pair of parallel levers mounted one above the other on knife-edge ivots and capable of being accurately adusted by counterpoises to the predetermined weight of material to. be entered in each bag, thus tending to economy, speed, and convenience in handling.

lhe delivery spout is flared to facilitate delivery and prevent possible clogging, and

provide Renewed May 23, 129258.

adjusting devices are supplied at all desirable points.

The invention consists in the novel tures of construction, arrangement and combination of parts embodied, by way of example, in the apparatus hereinafter described as illustrating the preferred form of the invention, and the invention will be more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from. the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, by way of example, the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference characters indicate the same parts in the various views:

Figure l is a side elevational view of one embodiment of the invention, illustrating its use.

Figure 2 is a partial front elevational view of one scale unit, the bag being removed.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of one form of the delivery spout and valve, taken on the center line and drawn to an enlarged scale.

Figure e, is a top plan view of the same.

' igure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3, but showing the spout inclined and the valve closed.

Figure 6 is a side elevational view, similar to Figure 1, but showing a modified form of construction.

Figure 7 is a front view thereof.

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional View of the spout used in the structure shown in Figure 8, the passage being open.

Figure 9 is a horizontal sectional view of the same.

Figure 10 is a vertical sectional view, similar to Figure 8, but showing the passage closed.

Figure 11 is perspective view 0: 7: a spout used in connection with open topped bags and interchangeable with the other form of spout in the machine.

Figure 12 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Figure 8 but slightly modified therefrom, showing the cut-ofi in detail.

Figure 13 is a fragmentary side view similar to Figurev 6, and showing means for retaining a bag upon the discharge spout until released.

Machines for the purpose outlined are usually composed of a series of units, disposed in parallel spaced relation upon a common base or foundation, supplied from a single feed trough and actuated by a power-driven shaft.

The preferred type of such machine as shown in -Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, consists of side frames, generally denoted by the numeral 20, composed of bases, 21 having forwardly extending elements and raised columns, convergingly inclined at their upper ends. I

Connecting between pairs of these frames, at their bases, are the members, as the rolled beams 22, held rigidly by riveted angles 23, and at the front by a cross beam 24 having flanged ends 25 alsoriveted to the frames.

The frames are further held in rigid relation at their upper converging ends by being secured to the bottom of a feed troug 1 '26 into which the material is supplied in any convenient manner.

Openings 27 in the feed trough, controlled by gate valves 28 lead to hoppers 29 havlng converging side Walls in which is revolubly mounted a shaft 30, driving an impeller (not shown) used to agitate and force the material forward to the outlet, indicated by the flange 31, to which is secured a hollow, elbow-like valve connection 32.

A bracket 33 is fixed on the upper horizontal face of the beam 22, the bracket haw ing an upright extension 34. Bifurcated bosses 35 on the brackets and similar bosses 36 on the extensions are formed with open topped, V shaped seats or recesses to receive knife-edge elements 37 and 38 set respectively in levers 39 and 40, relatively lower and upper, at about the center of their lengths.

These levers extend centrally'between the frame sides, from near their rear columns to points substantially in a vertical plane with the bar, 24, and are connected in parallel by a pivoted yoke'41 at their rear ends.

The lower lever 39 has slidably mounted on it a weight 42 of considerable magnitude, a corresponding but lighter weight 43 being adgustable on the upper lever and provi ed with a thumb-screw 44 engageable with teeth 45 on the upper edge of the lever,

- when the weights are in adjusted positions relative to the weight of material to be filled nto a single bag. v The forwardly extending ends of the levers 39 and 40 are forked and provided with openings 47 and 48 to receive knifeedge elements 49 and 50 fixed in a bar 46, constrained to move in a vertical plane due to the double lever and link connection.

miaoae A pad 51 at the bottom of the bar 46 contacts with the seat 52 carried on a support 53 integral with the cross beam 24, forming a solid abutment to receive the impact of the bar 46 upon its descent.

Carried at the upper end of the bar 46 is a ribbed plate 54 on which rests the base 55 of a scale having a platform 56 to which is attached a rearwardly reaching arm 57 carrying the stem 58 of a forked yoke 59- pivotally supporting a curved apron or guide plate 60 adapted-to position a receptacle, as the bag 61, centrally on the platform 56 and partially supporting the bag as it becomes filled.

The upright 62 (F ig. 2) of the platform scale frame is secured to lugs 63 of the base 55 and its horizontal arm 64 is provided with a graduated scale beam 65 and adjustable weight 66 by which the load on the platform 54 may be accurately determined.

Returning now to the valve connection 32, it will be seen in Figures 1, 3, 4, and 5 that its outer flange is disposed in a perpendicular plane, facing the front of the machine,

and attached to it is a rectangular valve body 7 0 having a smoothly finished concave face 71, the axis of which is in a horizontal plane.

Rigidly fixed on opposite sides of the valve body 70 or discharge throat are forwardly extending arms 72 and 73 having iii-reaching hubs at their ends, the arm 72 carrying a set-screw 75 and the op osite arm having journalled in it a spin le 76.

The point of the set-screw 75 and inner end of the spindle bear upon bosses 77 fixed on opposite sides of a spout 78, at its cylindrical end adjacent the discharge throat 70, the outer portion of the spout being preferably flared or expanded at its under side 79, and cut angularly, as at 80 from a point in the flared portion to the opposite upper side, presenting a thin narrow entering end 81 (Fig. 2) suited to readily enter an opening in the upper edge of the bag the shape of the discharge opening being ovoidal and of greater area than the inlet opening of the spout. The spout 79 when so entered in the opening of the bag 61 serves to support the bag by the top thereof; a art of the load being also carried, when t e bag is filled, by the platform 56.

The spout 78 is swung upon the axis of the spindle 76, by means of an arm 82 fixed to the spindle and pivotally engaged at its outer end by a rod 83, connected by a turnbuckle 84 with the rod 85 pivoted to a bracket 86 fixed on the side of the platform 56, opposite the scale upright 62.

From the foregoing it will be seen that when the platform 54 is in a raised position, the spout 78 will be held substantially horizontal, but when the platform is lowered, the spout will be swung upon its pivots into the position shown in broken lines in Figure 1 or as indicated in Figure 5.

It is therefore obvious that, since the top of the spout 79 is in supporting engagement with the upper lip of the bag 61, as the spout is moved to a downwardly inclined position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 (and as shown also in Fig. 5) the downward force of the filled bag will cause the bag rotate against the concave -lace 71 of the discharge throat on the axis 76.

lhis head 91 has a transverse bar 92 across its center, corresponding to the bar 87 of the discharge throat, and like it, being concavely recessed as at 93, other recesses 94 being formed in the head in parallel planes.

Thus when the spout 78 is extended horizontally, as best shown in Figure 8, the open- 'ings 95 in the discharge throat 7 0" will register with the similar openings 96 in the head 91, permitting powdered or granular material to flow freely from the hopper 29 through the throat and out at the end of the spent 78, provided the gate valve 28 is open.

@ontrariwise, when the spout 78 is inclined downwardly, as shown in Figure 5, due to the weight of mamrial entered into the bag 81, tilting the scale levers 32 and 40, the passages 95 in the discharge throat are closed by the valve head and no material can flow outward.

The purpose of the recesses 88 and 89 in the valve body and the similar recesses 98 and 94: in the head 91, is to reduce friction, thereby rendering the device highly sensitive and for the further purpose of presenting relatively sharp scraping edges at opposed surfaces tending to remove any accumulations and prevent clogging during their relative movement, in a manner "that will be readily understood.

In operation, an empty bag is placed on the platform 56 adjacent the apron 60, and the spout Z8 inserted in a small side opening in the bag which is partially sustained by the spout.

[lp'on opening the gate valve 28 material will flow directly into the bag until the weights t2 and 43 are overcome, thus lowering the plate 5% and inclining the spout, shutting ofi further tlow and simultaneousnoes ly allowing the filled bag to slide downwardly and oil the spout 78. The gate valve 28 may then be closed, the filled ba removed from the platform 56, and anot er empty bag substituted, the spout and platform rising immediately upon the removal of the tilled bag, the weight of which can be ascertained and checked by the reading of the scale beam 65.

Figures 8 and 10 inclusive illustrate a modified machine for I accomplishing the same purpose, which will now be described.

In this adaptation the frames are generally denoted by the numeral 100, the same being arranged in pairs connected at the front and rear by channels 101 and an 1 beam 102 at the center.

Fired on the beam 102 are brackets 103 having seats for the knife-edge elements 104 and 105 secured respectively in pairs of levers 106 and 107, the same being pivotally connected at their rear ends by a bar 108 having a rigid horizontal arm 109 on which is adjustably mounted a weight 110.

ilhe front extending ends of the levers 106 and 10? contain openings to receive reversed knife-edge elements 111 and 112 in bars 118 rigidly connected by an angle )late 114, the,

vertical member of which is riveted to upright bars 115.

' The upper ends of the bars 115 are cou pled by a rigid yoke 116 having fixed on its face a bracket 117, shaped to present a socket 118 (Fig. 8) formed by the undercut, convergingly inclined walls 119 open at the top and throughout its main front portion.

Engageable in the socket 117 is a trapezoidal block 120 having a forwardly extending hub 121, the block and hub being bored to receive a. spout 122, having a downwardly inclined lower portion 123 (Fig. 6) and cut angularly therefrom, as at 124, to the slightly down-curved point 125. The collar 121 is provided with a set screw 126 to secure the block upon the; spout. For use in connection with open topped bags a spout 127 is substituted, the same being fixed at its downturned delivery end, in a rectangular plate 128, (see Figure 11) suited to enter the bag, it being understood that the bloclrs 120 are alike and interchangeable in all cases.

The face of discharge throat 138 is recessed to receive a shutter plate 129, the same having an opening 130 normally in register with the opening 131 in the yoke and which, when the filling operation is proceeding, is in register with the opening in the spout 122, providing a clear and uninterrupted passage.

The shutter plate 129 is operated by a piv- V oted hand lever 132 as shown in Figure 7, thus providing means for manually controlling the passage leading to the spout.

As in the preceding description, a feed trough 184, common to all the hoppers 135, is fixed at the top of the frames 100, the hoppers being provided with suitable impellers driven by the shaft 136 and having an angulerly disposed dischztrge 137 engaged with it horizontal discharge throat 138.

The forwardly extending flanged Portion 138 (Fig, 8) of the throat 138 is arranged adjacent the yoke 116 and secured to the face of the throat 138 is a collar 139 having it shin-91y defined beveiied outer edge adepted to barely clear the surface of the yoke 116 es the latter is moved up and down relative- 13 to it, melting an eiiieient cut-oft. piece of a separate ring 139, the outer surface of the discharge throat may he sheged to present hevelled annulus 138", as shown in Figure 12, the edge of the ennuius being edjiisted eioseiy to ti e reer suriece of the yoke as before described,

Fixed to the uppe geide rod 140 siidwey M1 fixed to any ste being to steady and maintain it coiiar Secured to the h 115 their tower ends is St concave seat re *eptive of e during the fitting o' aeretion, this seat having i which we ooeretioii machine is suhsteni 1, I the i 'O 'fig Qiiig spout incnnino wee hits, thespoiit 13 to closing zneticei;

to the s ties for rete are shown.

in Five-re I. 9 which & bracket L45 is sehe hopper 13 end pivoted to hub 14% i the b1110 is erin 7 by the mndie 13%;, i ward. c. necting 'ith the device A 150 to 0 rear end of or sen-"nuns on its under surfed a weight 52 to rest open the bag}; 61 sngiported dog 15]; is pi 1 1H1 L ,L ried by e crochet in cmoved wits up being sheec 7 to without 1 ising t/ i;; do being accomplished moved down the 132 menueiiy operat d.

e hag t1 s meg hes hus descr sect our inventi perticui. y with re'terence to the e 1 i i no emhodnn oi: the same, seven. LG

' ect into ferred to some of the possihie modifications thereof, it will be obvious to thoseskiiied in the art after understanding our invention, that other changes and modifications may be inside therein Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and We aim in the appended claims to cover such changes and modifications its are within the scope of the invention.

W e cleim- 1. In a valve hag fitting niechine, the corn binetion of feeding means having ta dis' charge throat, a scale having at niovehie pert for Weighing material ted to the bag, means inovebie with said movable pert of the scale and having provision for supporting" the bog With its "valved opening in position to receive ineteriei from said discharge tin'oztt said feeding means and; said inovehie means be ing provided with opposed enge r tions edgiecent said. ti 3o one of o least norineiii in I inovehie with the viii i the zine :tit vided with opposed J. I w -1 v; 7 none been oiovideoi i c. scre oni euge ior a s, one said, hat 12g sherniy define c euge in. shciing engagement with the othei. 0!. said BEES, means to move seioi e races with respect to the i. 7 n. t

saw one wih he cioseo.

ariaoaa bination of a discharge throat providedwith a discharge opening, a valve bag filling spout provided with an opening normally in register with said throat opening, cut-off means for closing one of said openings comprising a smooth face portion and a sharply defined scraping portion in intimate sliding engagement and movable one with respectto the other, thereby reducing .to a minimum the interference of material being fed into the bag with the free relative movement of said sliding parts.

6. In a valve bag filling machine, a tubular discharge spout having a downwardly inclined lower wall and out diagonally from a point midway in the length of said lower wall to the extreme end of the opposite wall.

7. The combination in a valve bag filling machine having a discharge throat, a spout cooperating therewith, automatic means for cutting ofi the flow from the discharge throat when the spout is out of register therewith, and manual means for cutting off the supply from said discharge throat, of means to clamp the bag to be filled to said spout, said clamping means being released only upon operation of the manual cut-off.

8. In a valve bag filling machine, a rigid discharge throat and a spout engaged therewith, said spout having a constantly increasing cross-sectional area.

9. In a valve bag filling machine, a tubular discharge spout having a substantially horizontal upper wall and a downwardly inclined lower wall, said lower wall being cut diagonally from a point 'midway in the length of said lower wall to the extreme end of the opposite wall.

EDWARD L. BUSHMAN. ROBERT P. BUSHMAN. NATHAN M. FEGELY. 

